HC vacates stay on probe into 'illegal' admission of Iranian students to BDS courses

Vacating its stay, the Madras High Court has directed the police to proceed with their probe and bring to book the brokers who allegedly played a role in the "illegal" admission of several Iranian students to a private dental college near here.

Justice P N Prakash vacated the stay on the investigation, which was granted by the court on September 22 last year and extended in January this year, observing that though the police had zeroed in on one of the brokers, they were unable to proceed further because of the earlier interim order.

In his June 11 order, the judge, after going through the case diary produced by the deputy superintendent of police, District Crime Branch, Kancheepuram, directed the police to proceed with the investigation in order to nab the brokers.

Justice Prakash was hearing a petition filed by Nasser Hamidavi Zegheiri, an Iranian student, whose admission to the BDS course in the college was cancelled on the ground that he was enrolled without the mandatory NEET qualification.

Submitting that he had given Rs 25 lakh to get the admission, the student had moved the court seeking a refund of the fees paid.

The college had refunded Rs 5.50 lakh to Zegheiri during an earlier hearing.

Subsequently, at least 15 other similarly affected Iranian students approached the court.

The court was informed that the college had admitted the foreign students knowing that without clearing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test, they could not join medical courses.

The college cancelled the admissions following a directive from the Dr MGR Medical University, the affiliating institution.

Complying with its undertaking given earlier, the college, during the hearing on June 11, handed over a demand draft for Rs 47.90 lakh -- the fees collected from the 15 students -- in favour of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who was present in the court.